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I intend to eat something in a bit.
But first, hello. I have a few minutes while the Chinese food is made and the new driver gets lost on the way here (inevitable) (I have the worst address for delivery folks). I'm also downloading freshly-posted music. Seemed I might as well pop in here again.
Today was the day, hot on the heels of the news that it's scientifically proven that fat people make our friends fat, that Dick Cavett was vile about fat people in the NY Times (by subscription only). Which actually made for a good fat day, believe it or not. Even though I spent a bit of it reading the comment thread to that op ed, where it was at least 50% ugly yay-hoo chiming in with idiocy & hatred.
I was just watching Dick Cavett's old TV show on DVD last night, mattera fact. Odd coincidence.
Anyway, Paul/BigFatBlog had a good piece yesterday on the 1998 change in BMI and what counts as how fat, but it was the comments to today's post on the new study that included this gem, by BFB member pjrichardson:
First I was just fat. Then I was fat and unhealthy. Then I was fat, unhealthy and a bad person. Then I was fat, unhealthy, a bad person, and personally responsible for exploding health-care costs. Now I'm fat, unhealthy, a bad person, and responsible for both a collapsing health-care system AND everyone else's middle-aged spread.
At the turn of the last century, we found all sorts of "scientific evidence" that justified, almost made righteous, the ill-treatment of non-whites... I suppose we'll never learn.
Nice one, no? And that's not even my favorite bloggage about fat today.
It's always a debate how---and whether at all---to respond to ign'ant blather and other assaults in this vein. Mostly it seems to pay primarily in terms of the value, to one's self, of not just sitting by silently (which is not to be underestimated, I know, but which often hardly seems to compensate for the frustration and pique that go with having to raise such a voice again to begin with, let alone deal with the crap that usually follows). At some point you just figure what's the m-f'in' point. But there can be an m-f'in' point. Points, even. Including that, when you put it out there, somebody on the same page, or who might someday want to be, may witness it.
Apparently there are more and more anti-fat TV shows now, and coming on now. I just heard tonight about one called "Fat March." Another benefit of being almost entirely a DVD girl any more. Spares me (fatphobic) commercials, too.
One other fat thing: despite my reputation (deserved), in the family and elsewhere, I do draw the line sometimes. Funny it should seem so daring to draw the line at being allowed to exist, as I am, and not take absolutely all the sh*t that goes with that. But then again, that can be kind of a culturally radical thing to do, can't it? And not just when how you are is fat.
There goes the delivery driver again---second confused pass. Gonna have to hoof it out there to the corner and flag down my fat fuel. It just goes with the territory: as long as I live here, it's going to be tricky to communicate where I am.
Today was the day, hot on the heels of the news that it's scientifically proven that fat people make our friends fat, that Dick Cavett was vile about fat people in the NY Times (by subscription only). Which actually made for a good fat day, believe it or not. Even though I spent a bit of it reading the comment thread to that op ed, where it was at least 50% ugly yay-hoo chiming in with idiocy & hatred.
I was just watching Dick Cavett's old TV show on DVD last night, mattera fact. Odd coincidence.
Anyway, Paul/BigFatBlog had a good piece yesterday on the 1998 change in BMI and what counts as how fat, but it was the comments to today's post on the new study that included this gem, by BFB member pjrichardson:
First I was just fat. Then I was fat and unhealthy. Then I was fat, unhealthy and a bad person. Then I was fat, unhealthy, a bad person, and personally responsible for exploding health-care costs. Now I'm fat, unhealthy, a bad person, and responsible for both a collapsing health-care system AND everyone else's middle-aged spread.
At the turn of the last century, we found all sorts of "scientific evidence" that justified, almost made righteous, the ill-treatment of non-whites... I suppose we'll never learn.
Nice one, no? And that's not even my favorite bloggage about fat today.
It's always a debate how---and whether at all---to respond to ign'ant blather and other assaults in this vein. Mostly it seems to pay primarily in terms of the value, to one's self, of not just sitting by silently (which is not to be underestimated, I know, but which often hardly seems to compensate for the frustration and pique that go with having to raise such a voice again to begin with, let alone deal with the crap that usually follows). At some point you just figure what's the m-f'in' point. But there can be an m-f'in' point. Points, even. Including that, when you put it out there, somebody on the same page, or who might someday want to be, may witness it.
Apparently there are more and more anti-fat TV shows now, and coming on now. I just heard tonight about one called "Fat March." Another benefit of being almost entirely a DVD girl any more. Spares me (fatphobic) commercials, too.
One other fat thing: despite my reputation (deserved), in the family and elsewhere, I do draw the line sometimes. Funny it should seem so daring to draw the line at being allowed to exist, as I am, and not take absolutely all the sh*t that goes with that. But then again, that can be kind of a culturally radical thing to do, can't it? And not just when how you are is fat.
There goes the delivery driver again---second confused pass. Gonna have to hoof it out there to the corner and flag down my fat fuel. It just goes with the territory: as long as I live here, it's going to be tricky to communicate where I am.
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You do have a difficult place to find, by the way. I happened to have like 20 free minutes in Ann Arbor last Friday (went to my friends' wedding on Saturday), and I'd arrived way too late to catch anyone at MR, but I tried to find my way to your place to see if you were around, but couldn't remember how to get there at all. Nothing looked familiar. Sorry! We may have to make a plan next time I'm in town?
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So true, Lisa. My nephew is struggling with self-esteem issues due to being labeled "fat" by peers. It's eye-opening. He's constantly exercising these days. He's a beautiful kid! Why can't he just be who he is?
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p.s.
and that sux about/for j.
Re: p.s.
(Anonymous) 2007-07-30 04:39 am (UTC)(link)But let me respond to your friend.
Do you know why that person is so ashamed of being called fat?
Because we as a society have put this stigmatizim of fat=bad. Instead of just letting a person be who they are people are demonized about their looks and out culture has been summarily affected by it.
To make matters worse, some fat people are so fucking sensitive to the word because of the fat=bad association. Instead of becoming comfortable with the word fat, because lets be honest, that's what we are, we decide to use it as an excuse to be offended. I've been called a lot of things in my life and fat was the least offensive of them all, and I think that goes for most fat people.
You said "First I was just fat. Then I was fat and unhealthy. Then I was fat, unhealthy and a bad person. Then I was fat, unhealthy, a bad person, and personally responsible for exploding health-care costs. Now I'm fat, unhealthy, a bad person, and responsible for both a collapsing health-care system AND everyone else's middle-aged spread."
The unfortunate thing about your statement is true. Yet there's two things you can do about it. You can scream "Fuck the world it is true" and live your life as a confident fat person. Or you can do what you're doing, which is passive aggressivly posting blogs about how television is making you feel bad about who you are. Using a reality show, about people changing their lives, who on their own, would otherwise not do, as fodder for your own excuses on your weight loss is bullshit.
If you're trying to pass yourself off as a confident fatty, it's not working.
So I'd say, that in future, you should refrain from passing judgment on something you know nothing about and calling it propaganda...
I'm a contestant....
(Anonymous) 2007-07-30 01:00 am (UTC)(link)Let me be the first to say, that if you are fat. And truely happy and content with your life, then by all means be fat.
I personally am not one to tell anyone who and what they should be.
But if you're like me, someone who always said they were happy to be fat and who they were and deep down inside was crying while looking up lap band surgery because of their pain, then perhaps you're not as happy as you think. Could go either way, who am I to judge.
However, consider one thing. The shows that put me and these other people on, exploitative or not, change lives. I know I will never be the same and have a huge future ahead of me where once, I was just a fat guy working retail and going nowhere.
Now I have the potential for a T-Shirt line, singing carrer and who knows what else. And I'll never eat the same again.
Coming from food addiction, this was a life saver.
I think before you judge Fat March you should watch it. I think you'll find it's one of the least exploitative of these shows. The producers were very caring and helpful when neccesary.
Anyway, give it a try, you actually might like it...
www.myspace.com/numberoneshaqfan